Coin-controlled apparatus.



H. MEYER.

COIN CONTROLLED APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 1320.23.1905.

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HERMANN MEYER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COIN-CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Original application filed August 3. 1905. Serial No. 272.499. Divided and this application filed December 23. 1905. Serial No. 293078 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN MEYER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of the Bronx, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Coin-Controlled Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, this being a division of the application for Letters Patent for an automatic or self-playing piano, Serial No. 272,499, filed August 3, 1905.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved coin-controlled apparatus, the same being especially designed for use on an automatic or self-playing piano, and ar ranged to allow the use of a single note sheet containing a number of pieces of music, only one of which is played at the introduction of a coin, the note sheet being automatically arranged at the end of the last piece of music, to start playing the first piece of music on the introduction of another coin.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same which will be more fully described herein after and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a cross section of the improvement as applied to a self-playing piano; Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section of the improvement, the section being on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 4 is a sectional front elevation of the same on the line 44 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the motor and the two motor circuits.

The self-playing piano on which the improvement is applied is more fully shown and described in the application above referred to, so that further detail description of the general construction of the instrument is not deemed necessary, it being sufficient to state that the instrument is provided with the usual strings adapted to be sounded by a piano action capable of being played either by hand or by mechanical means controlled by a note sheet traveling over a tracker board, controlling pneumatics connected with the piano action. The pneumatics are connected with valved chests connected with a suction chamber, from which the air is exhausted by a suction bellows actuated from the motor J preferably of the electric type. In order to control the motor J for starting the instrument, a coin controlled mechanism is provided, arranged in such a manner that the introduced coin closes the motor circuit, thus starting the motor J for actuating the suction bellows.

The suction bellows exhaust air from a pneumatic motor used for driving the winding up and rewinding mechanism for the note sheet, it being understood that when a coin is introduced and the electric motor J and the pneumatic motor are running, then the note sheet is wound up. The note sheet is provided with a number of pieces of music,

only one of which is played on the introduction of a coin, and in order to stop the motor J automatically and hence the pneumatic motor at the end of each piece of music, a stopping pneumatic Q is provided, controlled by stop apertures in the note sheet, and controlling a coin-retaining and releasing device and also a counter Q for counting the coins introduced in the machine.

The movable member of the stopping pneumatic Q is connected by a rod Q with the lever S of the coin-controlled mechanism S. The lever S is fulcrumed at S on an insulated plate B forming part of the main frame B, and the said lever S engages, with its slotted end, a pin S on the member S operating in conjunction with a fixed member S for holding a coin T between the said members, as indicated in Fig. 2, to keep the motor-circuit closed for the time being. The member S" is in the form of a disk mounted to turn on the plate B and the peripheral surface of the said member S is provided with a cut-out portion or notch S, so that when the stopping pneumatic Q is collapsing and its rod Q pulls on the lever S, then the latter imparts a turning motion to the member S to turn the same in the direction of the arrow 1) so that the cut-out portion S comes in contact with the peripheral edge of the coin T and thus allow the latter to move downward with the member S and finally drop out from between the members S and S thus to break the first or coin-controlled motor-circuit (see Fig. 5).

The lever S is held in its normal position shown in Fig. 2 by a spring S to return the member S to the position shown in Fig. 4 as soon as a stop aperture of the note sheet has passed a tracker board 0 ening. The lever S is connected by a link with the counter ter with the drop opening T Q previously mentioned, so that whenever the lever S is actuated by the stopping pneumatic Q as above described, and the coin T is dropped from between the members S, S then the counter Q is actuated to register the coin thus dropped. The coin is passed between the members S and S by way of a coin chute T, into the upper end of which opens an opening T normally closed by a coin slide T mounted to slide in suitable bearings B forming part of the main frame B. The coin slide T is provided with an opening T for the reception of the proper coin, and the said slide is pressed on, at its inner end, by a spring T to hold the slide normally in the position shown in Fig. 2; that is, with the coin-opening T out of regis- In front of the drop opening T is formed an openingel somewhat smaller than the opening T to drop spurious coin into a chute T instead of carrying the spurious coin to the opening T and the coin chute T. Thus when a spurious coin is placed in the opening T and the slide T is pushed rearward by the operator in the direction of the arrow 0 and against the tension of the spring T then the spurious coin drops through the opening T into the chute T and hence does not pass between the members S and S The spurious coin passing down the chute T is retained in the chute for the time being by a retaining arm T formed on one end of a shaft T mounted to turn in suitable bearings arranged on the frame B. The inner end of the shaft T is provided with an angular offset T engaging an aperture in the lever S, so that when the latter is actuated from the stopping pneumatic Q as previously explained, then the shaft T is turned and the retaining arm T releases the spurious coin, which then drops with the proper coin introduced subsequently to the spurious coin, but into a separate receptacle arranged within the machine. The spurious coin may be viewed while at rest on the retaining arm T through a glass pane B arranged in the side of the casing B (see Fig. 4).

In case a piece of iron of the size of the proper coin T is placed into the slide opening T and the slide is pushed rearward, then the piece of iron does not drop through the opening T into the coin chute T, but is attracted by a magnet T secured to the frame and arranged directly over the rear portion of the slide T In order to move this piece of iron out of engagement with the under side of the magnet T the following arrangement is made: On the slide T is secured an upwardly-projecting pin T in engagement with an elongated slot T formed in a lever T fulcrumed on the guideway B and extending between the top of the slide T and the under side of the magnet T When the slide T is pushed rearward, the lever T is swung in a like direction, and when the piece of iron is attracted by the magnet T and lifted out of the opening T and the slide is allowed to return, then the lever T engages the rear edge of the piece of iron and pushes the same to the right into a chute T leading to the chute T a distance above the arm T Thus from the foregoing it will be seen that only when the proper coin T is placed into the opening T and the slide T is pushed rearwardly, then this proper coin drops down the coin chute T between the members S and S to close the motor circuit to start the machine. When the piece of music has been played and the stopping aperture of the note sheet moves in engagement with the tracker board opening, then the coin T is released and the motor circuit is broken to stop the motor.

The circuit wires J and J (see Fig. 5) connect the motor J with the members S and S and the wire J contains a battery J or other suitable source of electric energy.

hen the coin T is in position between the members S S the circuit is closed, and when the coin T drops out of position between the members 8, S the circuit is broken and hence the motor J 5 stops.

After the last piece of music of the note sheet is played, then the note sheet is automatically rewound, and for this purpose it is necessary to release the coin T by the action of the stopping pneumatic Q to break the motor circuit as described, and to again immediately close the motor circuit to keep the motor running during the rewinding operation, at the same time closing a valve for preventing the instrument from playing. For the purpose mentioned, use is made of a pneumatic U controlled by the simultaneous action of the stopping pneumatic Q and a pneumatic singly actuated whenever the mechanism is actuated which is employed for releasing the hammer rail from its rearward or half-stroke position, the same as if the soft pedal on an ordinary piano were released. The pnuematic U (see Fig. 1) is provided on top with a contact closing plate U adapted to make contact with contact. plates U and U whenever the pneumatic U is collapsed, the said contact plates U and U being secured on an insulated plate U attached to the main frame B and the said contact plates U and U are connected by branch wires J 9 and J with the circuit wires J and J thus forming a second or pneumatically controlled motor circuit (see Fig. 1). As the motor J is kept running, owing to the closing of the second circuit, as above described, the note sheet is rewound.

The operation is as follows: When a coin is passed by the slide T and chute T, between the members 8*, S of the coin-controlled mechanism S, then the motor circuit is closed by the coin T, whereby the motor is started and while running actuates the suction bellows to a start the pneumatic motor employed for winding up the note sheet to draw the latter over the tracker board. When the first piece of music is played, the stop apertures in the note sheet register with corresponding tracker board openings, so that the pneumatic Q is caused to collapse, thus turning the member S to cause the coin T to pass out from between the members S and S thus breaking the motor circuit and thereby bringing the motor J 5 to a stop. hen the next coin is introduced the above described operation is repeated, and in a like manner the several pieces of music on the note sheet are played in succession whenever a coin T is introduced. hen the end portion of the note sheet passes over the tracker board at the end of the last piece of music on the note l sheet, then the pneumatics Q and U are col lapsed. The collapsing of the pneumatic Q causes a release of the coin T between the members 8*, S and hence the first motor circuit is broken, but as the pneumatic U also collapses it is evident that the second motor circuit is immediately closed to keep the motor going without the coin T being between the members S, S The pneumatic U controls the shifting device for the driving mechanism for the note sheet, so that the latter is rewound. W'hen the pneumatic U is subsequently inflated its contact plate U moves out of contact with the contact plates U so that the second circuit is broken and' the motor J ceases running, thus also causing the pneumatic motor to come to a standstill at the time the note sheet is completely rewoundi From the foregoing it will be seen that if the proper coins are introduced the several pieces of music on the note sheet are played in succession, and when the last piece of music is finished the note sheet is automatically rewound.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A coin controlled apparatus comprising two electric circuits having a part common to both circuits, a motor in both circuits, a coin controlled switch for closing and opening one of the circuits, a pneumatically controlled switch for opening and closing the other circuit, and pneumatic means for ac-- tuating the said coin controlled switch to release the coin and break the coin controlled circuit immediately previous to closing the other circuit by the pneumatically controlled switch.

2. A coin controlled apparatus comprising two electric circuits having a part common to' both circuits, one of the circuits being coin controlled and the other pneumatically controlled, a motor in both circuits, a coin controlled switch having a fixed and a movable member, the members being adapted to be electrically connected with each other by a coin, pneumatic means for actuating the said movable member of the coin controlled switch to retain or release the coin, a pneumatically controlled switch for opening and closing the pneumatically controlled circuit, and pneumatic means for actuating the said pneumatically controlled switch immediately after the said movable switch member releases the coin and breaks the said controlled circuit.

3. A coin controlled apparatus provided with an electric motor, two electric circuits having a part common to both circuits and both circuits being connected with the said electric motor, one of the circuits being coin controlled and the other being pneumatically controllecha coin controlled switch having a fixed member, a disk mounted to turn and a spring pressed lever for turning the said disk, the said disk and the said fixed member forming terminals for the said coin controlled circuit to close the latter on the introduction of a coin between the said fixed member and the said disk, a pneumatic connected with the said lever for actuating the latter to turn the disk to release the coin, a switch for the said pneumatically controlled circuit, and another pneumatic for actuating the switch for the said pneumatically controlled circuit immediately after the coin is released by the turning of the said disk.

4. A coin controlled apparatus provided with an electric motor, two electric circuits having a part common to both circuits and both circuits being connected with the said electric motor, one of the circuits being coin controlled and the other being pneumatically controlled, a coin controlled switch having a fixed member, a disk mounted to turn and a spring-pressed lever for turning the said disk, the said disk and the said fixed member forming terminals for the said coin controlled circuit to close the latter on the introduction of a coin between the said fixed member and the said disk, a pneumatic connected with the said lever for actuating the latter to turn the disk and release the coin, a switch for the said pneumatically controlled circuit, another pneumatic for actuating the switch for the said pneumatically controlled circuit immediately after the coin is released by the turning of the said disk, and means driven by the said motor for actuating the said pneumatics in the proper sequence.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERMANN MEYER. 

